Trump’s lawyer allegedly paid off a former porn star to keep quiet before the 2016 election

One of Donald Trump’s lawyers arranged a $130,000 cash payment to a former adult-film star in 2016 in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with the then-presidential candidate, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, negotiated the payment and nondisclosure agreement with attorneys representing Stephanie Clifford (whose stage name is Stormy Daniels), anonymous sources told the Journal. The arrangement occurred in October 2016, just before Trump was elected president of the United States.

As the Journal tells it, Clifford allegedly had a sexual encounter with Trump after they met a 2006 golf tournament — the year after he married Melania Trump. Without denying that the payout happened, Cohen denied that any encounter occurred between Clifford and Trump.

Cohen provided the Post with a two-paragraph statement signed “Stormy Daniels” that denied a payoff between Trump and the adult-film star occurred. Images of the letter have since surfaced online.

“When I met Donald Trump, he was gracious, professional, and a complete gentleman to me and EVERYONE in my presence,” the letter reads. “Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false.”